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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23974432">Salt Skin</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blaizekit/pseuds/Blaizekit'>Blaizekit</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Blaize's Tumblr Archive [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Naruto</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Gen, Tumblr Prompt, tumblr drabble</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 01:47:42</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>215</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23974432</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blaizekit/pseuds/Blaizekit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Tumblr prompt for @eeevieee</p>
<p>Utakata tries to enjoy a nap, but his own thoughts won't let him.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Blaize's Tumblr Archive [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1728511</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Salt Skin</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    
<p></p><div class="">
  <p>
    <a href="https://blaizekit.tumblr.com/post/170817079114/kinda-wanna-throw-uta-at-u-like-old-times-u-kno">Original Post</a>
  </p>
  <p>Utakata’s eyes were half-open as he looked up into the rustling tree branches above. His bubbles drifted lazily in and out of view. </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>For all appearances, he was enjoying a nap in the golden late-afternoon. That might have even been true, except–-enjoying a quiet moment was not really possible anymore. Even the bubbles were there in defense, innocent-looking bombs that would buy Utakata time to run if he was caught off guard.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>The worst thing about running was the inability to escape from it. There was no true relaxation or peace. Just a trade-off between one kind of hell and another.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>The second worst thing? That it wasn’t a one and done decision. You had to keep choosing to do it. That meant the reasons ran thin pretty quickly.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Perhaps the only reason that kept working was just this: the ability to breathe as a free man. The small, glittering fragments of a reality he would never have. A person had to fall pretty far to be content with something like that.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>
    <em>Nevermind.</em>
  </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Utakata stood from his place on the soft grass. He was not content. Maybe he didn’t have a real reason to keep going. But reasons were just another form of chains. That meant it was time to move on.</p>
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